Your Cart is Empty
BLACK FRIDAY IS ON! Buy 2, Get 1 FREE! Use code BFCM24
Worried about protecting your home from bad guys? Home defense shotguns are a popular choice for their stopping power and ease of use. This guide breaks down the best tactical shotguns, comparing features like action type, barrel length, and recoil management.
Once you choose the home defense shotgun that fits your needs, head over to Spartan Mounts and grab a quick release mount for it!
Choosing the right shotgun for home defense is key. Think about your needs and preferences when picking between options... it could make a big difference in a critical moment!
Choosing between a pump-action and a semi-auto shotgun for home defense can be tough. Here's a breakdown to help you decide which suits your needs better...
| Criteria | Pump-Action Shotguns | Semi-Auto Shotguns |
|---|---|---|
| Example | Mossberg 500 | Benelli M4 |
| Price | Usually costs less than $350 | Often exceeds $1,000 |
| Firing Rate | Slower due to manual pump action | Faster firing rates |
| Ease of Use | Simple and reliable | More intuitive with reduced recoil loads |
| Ammunition Versatility | Reliable with various ammo types | May be sensitive to lighter loads |
| Maintenance | Requires less frequent maintenance | Requires more frequent maintenance |
| Reliability | High reliability in all conditions | Reliable but can be less so in adverse conditions |
Understanding shotgun gauges is crucial for choosing the best home defense shotgun. Let's take a quick look...
| Feature | 12-Gauge | 20-Gauge |
|---|---|---|
| Power | Higher recoil, more stopping power | Lower recoil, adequate stopping power |
| Recoil | More recoil, can be harder to control | Less recoil, easier to handle |
| Ammunition | More variety, readily available | Available but less variety than 12-Gauge |
| Usage | Preferred for home defense, popular among law enforcement | Great for smaller-framed individuals, still effective for defense |
| Shotguns Available | Remington 870 Tactical, Mossberg 590A1, Benelli M4, Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol | Mossberg Maverick 88 |
Each gauge has its strengths. The 12-Gauge offers more power and a broader range of ammo choices. The 20-Gauge, while less powerful, provides easier handling and reduced recoil... perfect for those needing something manageable yet effective.
Barrel length and capacity can affect how you use a shotgun for home defense. A shorter barrel, like the 18.5-inch one on the Remington 870 Tactical, makes moving around tight spaces easier.
You won't bump into walls or door frames as much with a shorter barrel.
Capacity is about how many shells your shotgun can hold. More capacity means more chances to hit your target without reloading often. The Mossberg 590A1 comes with barrels of 18.5 inches or 20 inches, offering good balance between size and shell load.
The Remington 870 Tactical is a top pick for home defense due to its reliability. This shotgun has an 18.5-inch barrel, making it easy to handle in tight spaces.
The Remington 870 Tactical is a reliable shotgun, perfect for home defense. It can be found for under $600 in most stores. This pump-action shotgun weighs 7.5 lbs and uses 12-gauge ammo.
With its 18.5-inch barrel, it offers good handling in tight spaces.
This model holds six rounds in the magazine plus one in the chamber, making its capacity 6+1. The design includes a sturdy build quality and user-friendly controls, ensuring ease of use even under stress.
The Remington 870 Tactical is a strong choice for home defense. It has many features that make it effective and reliable.
Pros:
Cons:
This shotgun offers a balance of benefits and drawbacks but remains a top pick for many gun owners looking for home defense tools like pistol grips and low-recoil loads.
The Mossberg 590A1 is a tough and reliable pump-action shotgun. It has a strong military-grade design, making it ideal for home defense.
The Mossberg 590A1 is a pump-action shotgun built for home defense. It weighs between 7 lbs to 7.25 lbs, making it durable yet manageable. This gun uses a 12-gauge caliber and comes in two barrel lengths: 18.5 inches or 20 inches.
This shotgun has an overall length ranging from 36.1 inches to 41 inches, providing versatility depending on the model you choose. The price tag is often slightly higher than the 870, landing around the $700 mark. Still, this offers great value for its features and reliability in high-stress situations like home security scenarios.
Mossberg 590A1 is a great choice for home defense. It has many strong features but also a few downsides.
Pros:
Cons:
This shotgun balances good protection with user-friendly features but keep in mind its weight and cost before making a decision.
The Benelli M4 is a top pick for those looking to defend their homes with a semi-auto shotgun. It offers a smooth, reliable operation and can handle various types of ammunition with ease....
The Benelli M4 is a semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun built for serious home defense. Its adjustable ghost-ring sights ensure precise targeting. The auto-regulating gas operation (ARGO) system offers reliable performance with every shot.
Weighing in at 8.42 lbs, it feels solid but not too heavy for quick handling, although it weighs about 1 lb more than the pump actions above.
This combat shotgun includes a Picatinny rail for mounting accessories like tactical lights or red dot sights. Priced around $2000, the Benelli M4 is an investment in security and peace of mind for your home defense needs.
The Benelli M4 is a top choice for a semi-automatic shotgun. It has many features that make it great for home defense.
Pros:
Cons:
The Mossberg 590 Shockwave stands out for its compact size and ease of use. It's perfect for maneuvering in tight spaces, offering both power and versatility....
The Mossberg 590 Shockwave stands out as a versatile shotgun ideal for home defense. This compact firearm features a 12-gauge pump-action system with a 14-inch barrel. It holds five three-inch shells but can also fire 2¾ inch shells, giving you flexibility in ammunition choice.
The short barrel makes it easy to maneuver in tight spaces, like hallways or rooms.
Designed for rapid response, the Shockwave includes an oversized charging handle and textured bolt release. Ambidextrous design caters to both left-handed and right-handed users, adding versatility for any shooter.
Strong aftermarket support ensures you can customize this shotgun with various accessories to meet your specific needs—whether it’s adding tactical lights or improving hand guard texturing for better grip during stressful situations.
The Mossberg 590 Shockwave is a compact and versatile shotgun. It’s popular for home defense.
Pros:
Cons:
The Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol stands out for its modern features and sleek design. This shotgun is built to handle tough situations, offering reliability and precision every time you need it.
The Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol is a semi-automatic shotgun, perfect for home defense and tactical use. It uses a 12-gauge caliber and can hold up to 7 rounds in its tube magazine. Weighing just 7.1 lbs, it’s easy to handle.
This model has a barrel length of 19.1 inches and an overall length of 38 inches, making it compact yet effective. With features like lightweight polymer stocks and M-Lok slots, it offers superior control during use.
Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol excels as a modern tactical shotgun. It stands out with its unique features and performance.
Choosing the right ammo is key for home defense. Different types of shells—like buckshot, birdshot, and slugs—offer varying effects on targets. Each type has its own strengths and weaknesses that can impact your safety during an emergency.
Understanding the different types of shotgun ammunition is crucial for home defense. Here’s a breakdown of Buckshot, Birdshot, and Slugs to help you decide:
| Type | Description | Best For | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckshot | Large pellets, more stopping power, effective at short range. | Home Defense, Medium Game | $0.60 (Winchester 12ga 00 Buck) |
| Birdshot | Smaller pellets, wider spread, less penetration. | Small Game, Close Range | $0.40 (Nobel Sport 12ga #8 Birdshot) |
| Slugs | Single, large projectile, high accuracy, long range. | Big Game, Home Defense (limited scenarios) | $1.52 (Federal Premium Truball 1 oz Slug) |
Buckshot offers stopping power with a good balance of spread and penetration, making it ideal for home defense. Birdshot spreads wider but lacks penetration, suitable for smaller threats or close encounters. Slugs provide accuracy and power for longer distances but may over-penetrate in a home defense situation. Each type has its own strengths, and choosing the right one depends on your specific needs and environment.
A shotgun choke is a metal tube attached to the barrel of a shotgun. It controls how the shot spreads after leaving the barrel. In home defense, this can be important because it affects your accuracy and reach within tight spaces.
Using a tighter choke, like modified or full, keeps the shot pattern narrow. This means more pellets hit your intended target even at longer distances inside a house. On the other hand, an open or cylinder bore choke creates a wider spread—useful for very close ranges but less precise across rooms.
Knowing when to choose each type helps in making informed decisions about defensive shotguns and their effectiveness in various scenarios.
Having the right accessories can make your shotgun more effective. These add-ons can improve accuracy and handling... making it easier to stay safe.
Tactical lights help see better in the dark. They attach to your shotgun, making it easier to aim and shoot.
Most tactical lights are bright and durable. You can use them to scare off intruders or light up a room quickly. Some come with strobe settings, which can disorient an attacker for a few moments.
Always check the battery life so you aren’t left in the dark when you need it most.
Sights and optics help you aim better. Ghost-ring sights are popular. The Benelli M4 has adjustable ghost-ring sights. These allow quick target focus, even in the dark.
Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical is another good choice for its sights. It comes with a fiber optic sight that glows brightly, making it easier to see your target. It's also optics-ready if you want to add a scope or other sight later on.
Recoil pads help reduce the kickback from firing a shotgun. They are usually made of rubber or gel, which absorbs some of the force when you shoot. This makes shooting more comfortable and helps improve accuracy.
The Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol has a great recoil mitigation system with its gas operation and special recoil pad. These features make it an excellent choice for home defense if you want to handle your shotgun more easily during stressful situations.
Always practice regularly to stay sharp... proper training can make all the difference in an emergency.
Regular training with your home defense shotgun is a must. If you don’t practice, you might make mistakes like short-stroking the pump gun, which can cause jams. Jams at a critical time can be dangerous.
Proper training helps you get comfortable with your chosen firearm under stress. You’ll learn how to handle buckshot loads or semi-auto guns better. Practice makes it second nature to operate the weapon smoothly and safely during high-pressure situations—like a home invasion.
Storing your shotgun safely is very important. Use a gun safe to keep it out of kids' hands and thieves. A good safe might have a lock, like a digital keypad or biometric scanner, so only you can open it.
Keep the firearm unloaded when not in use.
Wall mounts and gun cabinets are also great choices. They save space and protect guns from damage. Some even come with locks for added security. Place them in hidden spots around the house where they are easy for you to reach but hard for others to find.
Got questions about home defense shotguns? Read more to find answers!
A good home defense shotgun is reliable, easy to use, and effective at close ranges. Pump-action shotguns like the Mossberg 590A1 are great because they rarely jam and have an ambidextrous safety.
Semi-automatic options such as the Benelli M4 work well with various loads and can offer quicker follow-up shots.
Shotgun gauges matter too—12-gauge provides more stopping power while 20-gauge has less recoil, making it easier to handle for some people. Barrel length also plays a role; shorter barrels are better for maneuvering in tight spaces.
Finally, features like tactical lights and night sights can make aiming easier in dark conditions, enhancing overall effectiveness in emergencies.
Practice with your home defense shotgun at least once a month. Regular training helps you become familiar with the weapon and reduces the risk of short-stroking, which can lead to jams.
Practice makes you faster and more accurate, key factors when defending your home.
Use different types of ammunition like buckshot, birdshot, and slugs to understand how each performs. Train in various scenarios that might occur during a real-life situation—practice loading, unloading, aiming quickly, and clearing any malfunctions.
This way, you'll be better prepared if an emergency happens.
Finding the best shotgun for home defense can make a big difference in safety. The Remington 870 Tactical, Mossberg 590A1, and Benelli M4 each have unique features. Mossberg 590 Shockwave offers versatility, while Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol shines in modern tactical needs.
Choose wisely based on your personal preference and home setup.
The best shotguns for ultimate home defense in 2024 include semi-automatic shotguns like Beretta 1301 Tactical, pump-actions such as Mossberg shotguns, and lever-action models.
Semi-automatic shotguns offer quick follow-up shots and reduced-recoil loads, making them reliable firearms for defending your home.
Longer barrels can be cumbersome indoors; shorter barrels provide better maneuverability and less chance of collateral damage.
Rear sights and fiber optic front sights improve accuracy, while scopes or red dots help with precision shooting during low light conditions.
Look for oversized controls, heat shields to protect hands, extended magazines to hold more ammo, and options like collapsible stocks or weapon lights.
Yes! Specialty ammunition like buck shots or steel pellets increases stopping power—reducing unauthorized access threats quickly without risking collateral damage from missed shots.
I purchased 2 balance bike mounts, 1 of which broke on the wall. Spartan replaced the mount no questions asked and both have held up very well since installing the new mount. Great company, great products.
The Spartan custom mount fits like a glove on this unusually shaped Tavor TS-12 shotgun, which now is in a location accessible to me at short notice should the need arise.
Great stuff!
This is a great magazine holder for my pmag 308 mags. The mount doesn’t flex when mounted to the wall and holds the mags securely
Excellent product. Its for sure better then any other mount i've purchased. Love the design. 10/10 Highly recommend
These mounts are great. I love the thought that went into their design. The one hole is oblong to give you some wiggle room to adjust level when you’re mounting them. The magazines fit snuggly in the mounts. The mounts didn’t change shape when mounted on the wall with the provided hardware.
These mounts are amazing I love it. Will be purchasing more to complete my wall. Need at least 4 more to complete all my AR mags
Perfect, low cost, easy to install solution.
I was skeptical about it at first but after it arrived and i mounted it it is perfect for this weapon
Most of my gun room is outfitted with Spartan mounts. Love them! Clean look and they display perfectly.
Well-made mount which fits my shotgun perfectly and required minimal effort to install. Will purchase from this vendor again.
